Africa: Women from P♂lls to P♀lls

MALAWI: Women Candidates Hard Hit by Election Postponement

By IPS Correspondents
News that Malawi’s November local government elections are to be postponed yet again has hit female candidates hard – and mostly in their pockets. And it could mean that the country will have less female candidates to vote for when they finally go to the polls.
Many hoped Vice President Joyce Banda would be the country

MALAWI: Campaign Against Female Vice President a Campaign Against Equality

By IPS Correspondents
The future of women’s political representation in Malawi has come into question as the ruling Democratic People’s Party (DPP) launched a smear campaign against its own member, the country’s female Vice President Joyce Banda. Many had hoped Banda would become the country’s first female president in 2014.
The ballot for the Aug. 9 presidential election. Four candidates are running for the country

POLITICS-RWANDA: “Climate of Repression” as Voting Concludes

By Zack Baddorf
As voting concluded in Rwanda’s presidential elections, with incumbent President Paul Kagame expected to win by a landslide, fears remain that not all citizens will accept the results amidst claims the elections were neither free nor fair.
Rights groups fear women will not fully participate in the 2011 electoral process because of current election violence. Credit: Richard Mulonga/IPS

ZAMBIA: Election Violence Could Mean Fewer Women Participants

By Kelvin Kachingwe
There are growing fears that increasing numbers of women candidates and voters may not participate in the 2011 general elections because of an upsurge in election-related violence.

MALAWI: Innovative Campaigning by Women Candidates

By IPS Correspondents
You will find Beauty Kasonda on her campaign trail at funerals, weddings, church functions or just about any local gathering in her community. Kasonda does not have the sort of funding her male counterparts have for campaigning in the country’s November 2010 elections but she is not letting that stop her.
Saran Daraba Kaba's bid to be elected president of Guinea made little headway. Credit: USAID

POLITICS-GUINEA: Women Amongst Also-Rans in Presidential Elections

By Saliou Samb
Celou Dalein Diallo gained a significant advantage over Alpha Condé, his main rival for the Guinean presidency, when a third candidate said he would back Diallo in a second round of voting in August. But what has become of women candidates for high political office in this West African country?
Yvette Sylla, a female politician from Madagascar plans to contest the November elections. Credit: Lova Rabary-Rakotondravony/IPS

MADAGASCAR: Women Form Own Political Parties for Fair Representation

By IPS Correspondents
Brigitte Rasamoelina and Yvette Sylla are women with two different approaches to politics in Madagascar. One formed a political party, while the other decided to legalise her organisation as an association. But both women are considering running in Madagascar's November elections.
For a long time, Zambian women's participation in politics has ended at voting. Credit: Richard Mulonga/IPS

ZAMBIA: Calls for Political Parties to Field 50 Percent Female Candidates

By Kelvin Kachingwe
With women having achieved little in terms of representation in decision-making positions in Zambia, a national women’s lobby group is hoping to change this in the 2011 general elections.
Brigitte Rabemanantsoa Rasamoelina, a female politician from Madagascar says a women

INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS: Women Join Forces for Political Equality

By Nasseem Ackbarally
"Instead of moaning all the time, why don’t you create your own (political) party?" some men asked Brigitte Rabemanantsoa Rasamoelina, a female politician from Madagascar. She accepted the challenge and in February formed Ampela Mano Politika, a political party which started with only 22 female members and now has over 5,000 female members ... and 10 men.
Women contestants cannot afford to meet the material demands of the voters on their own. Credit: Claire Ngozo/IPS

MALAWI: Women Candidates Desperate to Finance Freebies for Voters

By IPS Correspondents
Mable Malinda wants to contest the local government elections but the independent candidate who is using her life savings to fund her campaign only has 500 dollars left in her bank account. She has already spent three times as much buying handouts for voters – an unofficial requirement when contesting elections in Malawi.
Swazi women about to receive food rations. Credit: Mantoe Phakathi/IPS

SWAZILAND: Women MPs Limited by the Patriarchal System

By Mantoe Phakathi
Minah Ndzinisa spends every day selling fruit and vegetables at the outdoor Mbabane Market, braving the rain, wind and cold for almost 20 years. "I was in the same cold even in the 1990s when we used to have only one woman Member of Parliament."

MADAGASCAR: Calls for Equality to be Written into New Constitution

By Laure Pichegru
Madagascan female activists are asking that the right of women to participate directly in politics be included in a new draft of the country’s Constitution, so that there can be 30 percent of female politicians in parliament by 2012 and 50 percent by 2015.

ZAMBIA: Need to Mainstream Gender Equality into all Policies

By Kelvin Kachingwe
Despite the adoption almost a decade ago of a national gender policy that aims to ensure fair participation of men and women in the development process, most of the Zambian government’s policies still remain gender blind, say civil society and women's rights associations.
Lydia Thembo is one of many women who have no clue about the writing of a new constitution and how they can contribute. Credit: Ignatius Banda

ZIMBABWE: A Chance for Women’s Voices to be Heard?

By Ignatius Banda
As Zimbabwe embarks on writing a new constitution with the countrywide collection of public submissions starting on Jun. 23, not all women are upbeat about the process.
Luisete Macedo Araújo wants to be Angola

ANGOLA: Changing More than Policies

By Julianna Ricardo
She may have been little-known in political circles until now, but by putting herself forward as the first female independent presidential candidate, Luisete Macedo Araújo (50) has thrust herself into the limelight.

MALAWI: Changing the Face of Politics

By Laure Pichegru
The face of politics is changing in the southern African country of Malawi. And civil society is making plans to ensure that it changes even more.
Aminata Mbengue Ndiaye, one of the few female mayors in Senegal, says training and support are needed for more women to gain elected office. Credit: Serigne Diagne/Wikicommons

Door to Political Office Opens for Senegalese Women

By IPS Correspondents
A law on gender parity in electoral lists, approved by a large majority in Senegal's National Assembly, has been welcomed by women from diverse walks of life.
Women voters are ambivalent on the need to increase female representation in the Mauritian parliament. Credit: Nasseem Ackburally/IPS

MAURITIUS-POLITICS: Voting for the Future

By Nasseem Ackbarally
Incumbent Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam has won the Mauritian election, retaining a third term of office.
A Sudanese voter casts his vote during the elections. Results will be announced on Apr. 22. Credit: Nichola Mandil

SUDAN: Election Results Expected Soon

By IPS Correspondents
Poor access to telephone networks and lack of roads in some areas of South Sudan is delaying the submission of voting results to the election commission.

POLITICS-SUDAN: African Leaders Call for Peaceful Elections

By IPS Correspondents
With less than a month to the historic multi-party poll in Africa’s largest country, Sudan, eminent African leaders are calling for a peaceful and calm election process.
Victoire Ingabire declared her interest in the country

POLITICS-RWANDA: Woman Vies for Top Job

By Stanley Kwenda
On average women constitute 18.8 percent of representatives in parliaments across the world according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). This gender imbalance has been subject to much feminist criticism and many campaigns for change have been staged to address the status quo. The situation is however different in Rwanda.
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